Distractions
by Innocentenough
Summary: A series of one-shots that show the development of one relationship in particular that was not seen coming in the hidden leaf village of Konoha. There can be only one good outcome of this - gossip. NejixSaku
1. Phobia's

A lump formed in her throat as a sweaty palm clenched into a tight fist; she was wracked with fear.

Her heart thumped violently in her chest, sticking to the sides of her lungs as she breathed heavily, desperately trying to slow her racing pulse. Her lips were dry as she gulped, choking slightly as the lump restricted her actions. Sweat glistened on her face as her features paled considerably.

Haruna Sakura was one known to withstand anything. She could look upon the sight of a bloodied Naruto and not feel sick. She could stand the sound of bones creaking as she healed them and would not hesitate for a single second at putting old Tsunade in her place. She could stare the Uchiha eyes head on without a trace of fear etched across her feminine exterior. She was the ultimate fighting female ninja, a credit to her village and unfortunately a valuable source of annoyance for an already said blonde ANBU captain.

But.

There was one thing that would wipe the smile right of her face. One thing that would make her palms sweat and her voice cease to exit. Her body would freeze up at the sight of it and her whole being seemed to diminish in a single embarrassing moment of self-doubt.

Spiders.

That's right, spiders. In her opinion, they were most disgusting creatures that would ever walk this earth. And that's excluding a certain Uchiha boy.

People would always criticize her at this petty excuse for a phobia. But, none the less, she would retort back saying 'They have far too many legs for an insect of that calibre'. With her head held high she would leave the conversation at that, inside desperately hoping that they thought her intelligent answer was good enough.

So it seemed a sort of sick coincidence that at the same time she was trying to settle down for a well earned nap, one of those eight legged freaks sat quite comfortably at the bottom of her feet. It was millimetres away from her right foot. She shivered involuntarily, secretly hoping that the wretched creature would simply move on its merry way to find someone else to taunt.

She sat incredibly still; a perfectly trained poise that she had required over the years of training, that could be of an advantage in these sort of situations.

She was currently on hey way back from a successful mission with Hyuuga Neji, her Anbu captain. They had decided to camp out for night instead of trekking out in the dark when it is most dangerous. They were situated in a clearing that was surrounded by fresh, spring trees; their branches reaching out over-head, leaving small gaps to allow droplets of moonlight to filter through.

The fire was in the centre, flickering quietly with the occasional crackle and pop. On one side, lay Sakura and on the other Neji. The brunette had insisted that he slept nearest the entrance to the clearing, just in case they had been followed.

Neji had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the blanket; he had after all done most of the fighting, the only reason Sakura went was for backup and incase he got seriously injured. His Anbu jacket was folded neatly next to him along with his weapons so that he slept in merely a black top and trousers.

She herself was clad in only her small black shorts and a tight white strappy. Neji had given her a slightly disconcerting look and told her to put more clothes back on in case they had been followed by the very men he attacked earlier.

"Im sure I'll survive if they decide to attack" She had deadpanned, none to pleased with his attitude. He had merely grunted and carried on with the fire.

As her mind rushed with confused thoughts and torturing nightmares, a familiar sound entered her ears. It was the soft snoring of Neji.

She smiled.

It brought back some pretty interesting memories; the way his breath would tickle her cheek as they lay pushed up against each other in some small, spider infested cave to escape and evade enemies or how she would often slip on his jacket in the morning to keep warm as they travelled at dawn, to which he never complained. She would cook breakfast for him sometimes before they started travelling again, all the while his snoring would seem to overpower the sound of boiling water or sizzling food.

She decided to risk a small amount of movement so that she could watch him. She turned her head to the side to look into the peaceful face of her captain. His mouth was open slightly as he lay in a sort of neat heap, his chest heaving in and out in sync with his light snoring. His hair was beginning to tangle across his head and his usually bright, opaque eyes were overcome with tiredness and shut tightly.

Just as she was starting to enjoy the sight she felt a slight tingle on her foot.

She froze.

The sensation travelled up the arch of her foot and over the tips of her toes, like someone was running a feather across her sensitive skin. She dared herself to turn her head back to stare at the monster that now sat on her leg. Goosebumps rose on her peachy skin and her hair stood on end as she slowly but surely tilted her head towards the menace.

Holy _shit_.

Her saliva felt like glue in her mouth as she swallowed hard.

"Neji…" She hissed. Not daring to look over at him.

His snoring immediately stopped as soon as the words slipped from her mouth. Years of endless training had caused him to be only half asleep at night; meaning his senses were still as sharp as ever.

Sakura noticed this and scowled in annoyance.

"Baka!" She scolded in a hushed whisper. "Im not complaining about your snoring!"

He opened a sleepy eye and stared hard at her. Ignoring the fact that she was sweating like a pig and breathing so erratically one would of thought she was having a heart attack.

"This had better be good Sakura…" He was never really a morning person.

"Spi-…s-sp…..sp…" She muttered, sounding more and more like Hinata with every passing second.

"Come again?" He asked amused as he leant up on one elbow to get a better look at her over the fire.

"Spider!" She let out in a rather high-pitched voice.

"Spider? A spider?" He sighed, very aware of her strange phobia. "Where?"

She pointed a shaky finger at the bottom of her leg. Neji snapped at her to keep still so that he could follow her finger-line straight.

"That thing? Sakura its about the size of my thumb - it's nothing."

"Yeh well your thumbs are pretty big, Neji!" She snapped; angry at his small tease.

"Just brush it off…" He suggested. She stared at him horrified.

"I am NOT touching that thing!"

"Oh, Sakura come on-"

"No!"

"It wont hurt you-"

"You don know that!"

He rolled his eyes sarcastically before standing up and brushing his trousers off. "Want me to get it for you?"

She nodded pathetically and watched him drag his feet over to her. Her eyes clenched shut as he flicked the poor thing off her leg and into the bushes at her side.

"There, All gone!" He turned on his heel and practically launched himself back into 'bed'.

She sighed and collapsed back onto her blanket. Her tired eyes rolled in and out of focus as sleep claimed her now stress free mind. She smiled as the faint sound of snoring began to ring through her ears again. In a strange way she found it rather soothing. Maybe because it brought back such wonderful memories or maybe because it was something familiar that she could cling too in this unfamiliar environment.

Fear suddenly etched her face as a rustling noise to the bushes on her left rang throughout the now dark clearing. She leant up onto her elbows and for once in her life wished she had the Bykuugan eyes so that she could home in on what was scaring the living daylights out of her.

Her mind suddenly filled of thoughts of an even bigger spider crawling out of the bushes and not stopping until it reached her rather vulnerable looking neck. It would probably be the little spiders Dad coming to reek its revenge on whatever poor soul choose to carelessly flick it's youngster away without even realising the dire consequences.

Ok this was getting stupid.

"……Neji?" She whispered again, glancing over at his resting form. She felt slightly guilty as she heard him sigh heavily.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Wanna swap places?" she asked quietly, eyeing the bushes that surrounded her left side.

"Why?" she could hear the disapproving tone in his voice.

"Well, you know…its quite hot tonight…so the breeze through the entrance might be---…..just swap!"

"Urgh.." he hauled himself up, dragging his blanket behind him as he trudged over to wear she lay. She began to gather her things together when she felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down onto her blanket.

"Stay put." he said, rolling his blanket out next to her so that he blocked her from the bushes on her left.

"No its okay, I'll-"

"Sakura, your not sleeping next to the entrance. That's an order"

She knew he wasn't being harsh because she saw a light smile twinge his lips. She tiredly smiled back and lay back down on her bed. He lay down as well, facing her this time. She watched intrigued as he activated his Byuukagen and did a sweep of the surrounding area before settling down to sleep again.

"You are safe from rogue ninja, enemies and spiders. Now _sleep_" he muttered as his eyes slid shut again. She smiled gently and began to slowly drift off into a deep slumber.

After a while she felt a small pressure on her hand, peeling her eyes open she glanced down to see Neji's large fingers brushing gently against her own. She opened her palm and let him slip his hand into hers. It was around twice the size of her own small hand, but as their fingers laced together she couldn't help but think they were a perfect fit. She looked up into the face of the sleeping ninja, knowing that his senses were still up and running and that if anything were to attack, be it other ninja or big daddy spiders, she knew that he would keep her safe.

It was that final thought that let her relax; her shoulders slumped and her back muscles loosened up. Tiredness suddenly over took her again and she drifted back into the sweet abyss of darkness, muttering one last word before sleep finally claimed her.

"Thank you…"

* * *

Tada!! The first edition in my little one-shot series J I quite liked the idea of Sakura having a phobia that Is so common amongst people today, especially because she's such a strong and independent character. And Neji…well…he's just Neji - nice and gorgey J

R+R


	2. In the dark of the night

She slumped down on her sofa, the cup of instant ramen going down with her. She snapped her chopsticks and dug in to her dinner, ignoring the ache behind her eyes that was forcing her to sleep. She tucked her knees underneath herself and ravished the long earned snack; the hospital had been busy today and she hadn't gotten a chance to stop.

She frowned as the aching behind her eyes became darker still. She growled at her Inner self, warning her about the consequences if she were to force Sakura into a deep slumber.

"I still have scrolls to translate for Tsunade…" She mumbled between mouthful's of noodles.

A loud, single knock on her door nudged her out of her thoughts. She carefully rose from her seat and placed her cup on the side. Another, more urgent knock rattled her nerves and she turned on her heel to the front door.

"Im just coming, geez…" She rolled her eyes and strolled down the hallway, glancing at the clock on her way by.

She stopped and stared at the clock hands that both pointed to twelve. She looked back at the door when it rattled again under the hard thudding.

"Who would be here at this time of the night…" She gently gripped her kunai in her back pocket as she carefully approached the door, trying to conceal her chakra as she went. The door shook again as another thunderous knock echoed throughout the hallway. Vivid images of rogue ninja, burglars and kidnappers flooded through her mind as her hand reached for the handle.

She drew in a deep breath and in one fluid motion whipped the door open, revealed her chakra full force and held her kunai out at the ready; she jumped back in the process to create some distance incase a fight was imminent. The sight before her, however, caused her to drop her kunai in shock. The only noise that rang throughout her apartment was the sound of it clattering against her wooden floor.

The sight before her was not one for the faint hearted. Leaning against her doorway, panting heavily and covered from head to toe in mud, soot and most importantly blood, was Hyuuga Neji; her Anbu captain. She quickly darted forwards and caught him as he slumped forwards slightly.

"Neji!! What on earth happened to you?"

"…I c-couldn't make it… hospital…too ..far.." he gasped, clearly in a lot of pain in his chest. His right hand was clutching his left ribcage, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood. His head was pounding and he felt incredibly dizzy from loss of blood and depleted chakra. He coughed slightly and felt the bile rise in his throat. He groaned and swallowed it back down, refusing to vomit on sakura's hallway floor. His eyes span slightly as he felt her hands clutch his face.

"Focus on me Neji, ok? You have to stay awake until ive finished fixing you up. Just keep talking - what happened?" She then began the task of hoisting him up onto her back so that she could carry him to her room where she could fix him up properly.

"Ambush…on way back….mission…" He whispered hoarsely over her shoulder, trying to piece a coherent sentence together.

"Jesus, Neji! How many people ambushed you? Were you by yourself?" She tried to concentrate on making it to her bedroom and keeping Neji awake rather than the burning muscles in her thighs and calves. Suddenly her room looked a lot further away than normal.

"…myself…three…"

She gently lay him onto her bed, propping him up on her pillows so she had easy access to his chest. She then began to rip his clothes off him; in any other circumstance she would be blushing furiously and trying very hard to not picture what would happen next, but this wasn't the time to be thinking dirty thoughts when one of her close companions was currently half dead in her arms.

"Come on Neji you can take on three ninja!! You're an Anbu captain!" she laughed nervously as she tried to not gasp at the state his chest was in. She quickly ran into her bathroom and grabbed a bowl of water and some fresh towels. She plucked her medical kit off the floor and began washing his wounds, cleaning them until she was certain they wouldn't get infected.

"No chakra left…..mission…" He whispered, clearly fighting to keep his eyes open as he lay on her nice soft comforters, her familiar scent on her pillows helped him to relax as she carried on with the painstaking task of mending his injuries.

"Not all this blood is yours..." she murmured, slight relief filtering through her as she realised that he didn't have as many cuts and gashes as she previously thought.

"I don't go down without a fight…" he gave her a small smile.

She glanced up and saw that he was starting to come around a little easier. She quickly took a small bottle of medicine out of her kit and pulled the top off. She then proceeded to tip his chin back gently and pour the thick substance down his throat. He gagged slightly and tried to cough it out but she clamped his mouth shut with her hand until she was sure he had swallowed it all.

"It'll help numb the pain, ok? Im going to set your ribs back in place now." She warned him. She gently sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over him and placing her now glowing hands on his chest, her eyes closed as she concentrated her entire thoughts on setting his broken bones.

He watched her work. The way her eyes scrunched up as she concentrated hard, the way her breathing was slow and deep as it brushed gently across his neck and open shoulders, the way her pink locks fell forwards to frame her face as she leant forward slightly, and how the moonlight that filtered through her window made her face glow a pale golden colour. He didn't know whether it was the drugs that she had just given him or his current situation but he couldn't help but feel completely drawn in. At this moment in time, there was nothing else but her.

Reality came crashing back down, however, as she removed her hands from his chest and a rather unpleasant ache set in. He moaned and rolled his head to the side, trying to ignore it.

"Sorry, but it had to be done. Your ribs would of burst one of your lungs eventually." she gently stroked her hand down his cheek before going back to the task of cleaning him up.

It wasn't until 2 o'clock that morning that Sakura managed to finish cleaning up all of Neji's wounds and broken bones. She gently rose and tipped the dirty and bloodied water down the sink before washing and disinfecting her hands. When she walked back into her bedroom she noticed that Neji had his eyes half-open.

"You ok?" she asked quietly, walking over to his side and pulling the blanket up to his shoulders. He nodded in return before gently reaching out and holding her hand tightly.

"Thank you…" it was barely a whisper but she heard it. She smiled down at him as he closed his eyes and began to drift into a well earned sleep, she thought. She laced her fingers with his and revelled in the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She looked up into his pale face, leant over and placed a soft kiss on his bandaged forehead.

"Sleep well.."

* * *

Neji woke to the sounds and smells of bacon sizzling. He blinked slowly as the early morning light began to filter through the shutters. The sounds of Konoha's streets beginning to wake up made him wonder where he was suddenly; the only noises back at the Hyuuga compound were the sounds of bird calls and running water from the outside fountains. He groaned as he slowly sat himself up. As he glanced around he suddenly recalled falling into Sakura's apartment, pain coursing through his body, her soft touches across his skin as she healed him up and the deep, comforting feel of her bed as he slept soundly.

"Shit…." he muttered, embarrassment coursed through him as he suddenly remembered being stripped and re-dressed by none other than Konoha's finest woman. He felt his cheeks flush slightly at the thought before shaking it away moodily, tutting to himself.

"Its just her job, its just her job…" he muttered continuously to himself as he swung his legs over the side and stood up. Surprisingly, he didn't sway under the sudden vertigo, he didn't feel the need to throw up nor did he ache that much; only on his left ribcage and his right calf muscle. "That's the sign of a good medic" he smiled at her handy-work.

As he looked down at himself, however, he suddenly noticed what Sakura had re-dressed him in.

"….What?" he chuckled as he pulled at the bright orange shirt that clung to the muscles on his chest and arms, before staring down at the orange matching trousers that swung down to mid-ankle length. He sighed heavily and decided to follow the enticing smell of breakfast into the depths of Sakura's apartment, ignoring whatever pyjamas she had squeezed him into.

As he rounded the corner into her small, cosy kitchen, he came across what he'd been searching for; food.

There sitting on the table sat a plate of freshly cooked eggs, bacon and toast. A pot of coffee sat on the side along with orange juice, milk and water. He also noticed that there was cereal and porridge on the table as well as a bowl of mixed fruits.

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I just did everything" a voice from behind him spoke. He turned to see the pink haired beauty staring up at him with bright emerald eyes. Her hair was recently washed and droplets of water trickled down her neck and under her strappy, which hugged her figure neatly, before reaching her black, baggy shorts and bare feet. To Neji, she looked picture perfect; exactly how a woman should look in the morning.

He felt slightly awkward as he didn't really know what to say to the woman who had just stayed up all night taking care of him, let him sleep in her bed and also slaved away to cook him the biggest and best breakfast of his life. He decided to just be normal with her and so reached out and poked the bags under her eyes.

"Someone's looking tired..." he smiled gently. She scoffed and slapped his hands away.

"Well someone had to look after you, you big lump! Always getting yourself into trouble.." she began to mutter as she walked past him to the breakfast table. His arm shot out however, and stopped her movements. She rubbed her chest where she's bumped into him and stared up into his intense opaque eyes.

"Thank you, Sakura" he said, with as much meaning and sincerity as humanly possibly for the prodigy. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug, all the while revelling in the scent of her vanilla shampoo and small, slender figure pressed up against his. She on the other hand was trying very hard to not blush as she pressed her cheek into his chiselled chest, listening to the silent _thump_ of his heart. She breathed in deeply and smelt her washing powder on the clothes she'd given him. She couldn't help but giggle as she suddenly remembered the bright orange pyjamas she had dressed him in.

"What?" he murmured, still holding onto her tightly.

"Im sorry about the pyjamas. Their Naruto's; the only male clothes I actually have. Unless you wanted to sleep naked." she chuckled.

"I wouldn't of minded" he teased gently, he felt her pinch the skin on his back and jumped slightly at the sudden, flinching pain.

"Ow!" he laughed. He would of picked her up and whirled her round would it not of been for the slow aching pain that was still imminent in his chest, so he settled for simply ruffling her hair. She giggled, giving him a gentle squeeze before pulling away and steering him towards the breakfast table.

"Now, what can I serve you?" she asked, grinning as she tied an apron around her middle and lifted a plate for him.

"Everything. But I'll start with the cereal"

* * *

Would you look at that? I actually wrote the next mini story and uploaded it within the space of a day! :D Anyway, im starting off mellow and keeping the touchy feely stuff to a minimum so I can get the flow of the stories going and try and keep some sort of anticipation in each chapter. The next chapter will have a bit more fluff in it I promise .

R+R! J


	3. Anemia

He huffed loudly as he stared up at the entrance of Konoha hospital. Stupid Gai-sensei had forced him to come due to his unusual lack of energy during the past few training sessions. On one occasion he had to stop because he had ended up shaking and nearly collapsed half-way through blocking one of Lee's attacks; Gai had carried him home that day to his complete and utter embarrassment. He closed his eyes and tried to not let his anger take over as he trudged up to the reception desk.

"Hyuuga Neji" he dead panned to the receptionist, who merely giggled and assigned him his seat in the waiting room.

"You'll be with Ms. Haruno today" she smiled up at him "Please could you fill out this form whilst you wait?"

He nodded grudgingly and made his way to his seat. He stared down at the form on his lap with a blank face, pen ready in his hand. He grabbed his wrist however when he noticed his hand shaking. He growled and held his hands up in front of himself. He grit his teeth as he tried to stop them from vibrating. Why was he so weak all of a sudden? He yawned and dropped his hands, picking up the pen in the process.

He filled In his name and address details before listing his various symptoms and what occupation he had. He came to the next question which asked for the doctors name. He filled in 'Haruno Sakura' with a rather annoyed sigh; great, another person to mock him in his current state. Especially after his little escapade of stumbling into her apartment half-dead.

"Hyuuga?! What are you doing here?"

He glanced up at the face of one Uzumaki Naruto. He sighed inwardly - when would people learn to leave him alone?

"I have a doctors appointment, why else would I be here?"

Naruto chose to ignore the obvious 'are-you-stupid-or-just-really-annoying' look Neji was shooting him and went on with his questions.

"Really? Who are you with?"

"Sakura"

"Ah, good luck! I just had her and let me tell you she's not in the best mood, I think she re-broke my arm whilst she was setting it"

Neji glanced down at Naruto's thoroughly bandaged arm and felt a slight lump from in his throat. He really wasn't in the best state to deal with this now and he was finding it hard to not just get up and walk out of the hospital and back to bed.

"Im sure I'll manage…" he drawled.

"Well see ya around, Hyuuga" Naruto waved with his good hand before heading for the hospital exit. Neji watched him go with jealous eyes. The people in the surrounding seats shifted uncomfortably at the sudden change of aura in the room.

"Next!" a voice called. Neji glanced over his shoulder to see a pink-haired medic scribbling something on a clipboard. He stood up and made his way over to her, keeping his hands at the ready as Naruto's words rang in his head; "_I just had her and let me tell you she's not in the best mood!"_

But, to Neji's great surprise and relief, she looked up and smiled at him.

"Ah, Neji!" she grinned "come in" she opened the door for him and followed suite once he entered. He sat on the bed without her instruction and simply stared at her as she organised her little tray of tools and medical things that Neji didn't have the care to try and figure out.

"Right" she said as she wheeled her chair over in front of him. She crossed her legs and stared him straight in the eyes. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

Yeh. This was definitely going to be embarrassing.

"Yesterday, in training I ..collapsed.. And recently ive been feeling quite weak… Shaking and stuff.." he mumbled. Wow. This was very unlike him.

"Hmmmm.." Sakura hummed. Her hand slammed a little too hard against his forehead. "No temperature" She grabbed a little torch and peeled one of his eyes open, shining it in. "Your eyes aren't diluted"

Neji wheeled from her sudden onslaught; the woman has no concept of her own unnatural strength.

"Can you activate your Byuukagen for me?" she asked. He pressed his hands together and collected his chakra behind his eyes. He lasted a few seconds before he began to go dizzy and had to release it. He closed his eyes and waited for the sensation to pass before opening them again with some difficulty.

"Do you feel dizzy when you do that?" she asked, placing a hand on his leg. He stiffened at her light touch but nodded in response.

"Okay…and are you finding it harder to stay awake in the evenings?"

"Yes."

She nodded and typed the information into a computer.

"Now you mentioned you collapsed yesterday, when and where?"

"It was when I was training with Lee and Gai-sensei in the training grounds"

"And you started shaking?"

"Yes. I felt drained of energy"

"Did you feel sick at all?"

"No…"

Geez talk about your twenty questions. He knew she was doing her job but it was starting to get frustrating. He slipped his hands underneath his thighs to stop the sudden onslaught of shaking. His eyes widened slightly when he felt his chest tighten and his heart rate increase tenfold, almost pumping out of his chest. He clutched the cloth around his chest and began to breath heavily. It passed as quickly as it came on and he was shocked at what had happened.

"Has that ever happened before?" Sakura asked. Neji jumped slightly; he didn't realise she had noticed.

"No. That's the first time.."

She whipped her doctors equipment out and placed the ear pieces In her ears, the other end she held out at the ready.

"Remove your shirt" she ordered. Neji couldn't help but blush a little; besides the fact that he was on a bed and they were alone in the room. Oh, and also that small little fact that last time she treated him she had stripped him naked to re-dress him.

Stupid hormones.

She placed the cold disc onto his chest and listened around for any irregularities.

"Hm. Just a little palpitation I think, nothing too serious." she flung her equipment back round her neck and continued with the typing. The noise was beginning to annoy Neji as she tapped endlessly along the keys. What the hell was she writing?

"So, do you know what's wrong?" he asked rather impatiently.

"Well, it sounds like Anemia, but im going to have to do some blood tests to make sure and to be able to prescribe you the right medication"

He groaned slightly in annoyance; having blood tests meant he would be out of action for the next few weeks. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Neji, you deserve a break" she said, almost reading his thoughts. "Make the most of it!" she smiled at him before jabbing a needle into his right arm, drawing blood as she did so. Neji watched as she took two cylinders for testing, placing them gently in an envelope with an attached note.

"Besides, you didn't follow my orders last time and so you've never really recovered from your last injuries. That and stress is probably what brought on the Anemia."

"And what do you suppose I do in the coming weeks?" he asked, slightly sarcastically.

"Oh I don't know. Take a holiday? Go to a spa? Get to know some people round the village?" she suggested as she began to tidy her desk and disinfect her hands.

"Get to know some people?" he drawled.

"Yeh! Make new friends…" she paused, glancing nervously at him.

His eyes narrowed. "Haruno are you trying to say I don't have any friends?"

"No! no not that. Just maybe you could branch out a bit. Get to know some people you already know a little better." she was treading carefully and Neji knew it. He smirked, feeling a little better already as he watched her work.

"Ok. What's your favourite food?"

She looked at him. "Come again?"

"What's your favourite food?" he asked again, innocently. Sakura stared at him hard.

"Hyuuga if this is another one of those stupid personality tests I swear to god--"

"I want to get to know you better" he stated simply.

"What?!" she blushed furiously, trying to understand what he was saying and not the alternative that her inner-self was shouting at her in her head.

"I want to get to know you better" he said again, this time with a little more emphasis.

Him. Hyuuga Neji. He wanted to get to know her better. Of all the people he could of picked in Konoha he just HAD to pick on her, didn't he? She stared at his chiselled face, still shirtless torso and long slender legs. She quickly came to the decision that she wouldn't mind. Wouldn't mind one single bit.

She looked up again and nodded politely. He smiled back triumphantly before speaking again.

"Ok. Favourite food. Go"

* * *

This chap was a quickie! Sorry guys I will upload a longer and better one next time, I promise - also sorry it's a bit late but I have a lot going at the moment. You'll probably notice that in these stories I skip quite a bit of time in between - so expect about a month or two between each chapter; so basically im saying that a lot has happened since Sakura healed Neji in the last chapter, to where she's helping him again in this one.

Get it? Got it? Good.

R+R!


	4. Sake

Sakura couldn't help but feel slightly self-conscious as her Anbu captain entered the restaurant and pub through the front door. She gave him a quick once over as he began to chat to Tenten and Lee. He was wearing a pair of black pants, a white shirt that had the first few buttons open revealing the top of what looked like a very toned chest. To finish off the look his hair was tied back in a ponytail; the scrunchie sitting neatly at the bottom of his head, just above his neck. She felt her cheeks warm a little and so quickly looked away incase anyone noticed.

"…and then do you know what I said to him? I told him to …" Ino was gossiping to her in the background and she'd often taught herself to block her out and just fade into a little daydream of her own.

"Oh really? No shit. I bet he didn't like that" she answered with no emotion in her voice. Ino, however, took no notice of this and continued on filling Sakura in on every tiny detail of her day. Sakura caught eyes with Hinata and rolled them a little, making the purpled haired girl giggle softly behind her hand; the other clutched tightly around Naruto's waist.

She sipped her drink gently and looked around the room again, getting an idea of how many people had turned up. All the ninja's in the village had been invited to the end of year party, which if she was being honest, was to celebrate that they had all made it through the past year alive and relatively well. However, not all ninja survived their battles, and so tonight was also to commemorate their loss.

Most ninja just use it as an excellent excuse to get hammered.

_Don't get me wrong _she thought, _we all care about the ninja that were lost in battle. Its just you choose your fate when you choose to be a ninja, that's how it is. _

She continued to ignore Ino and instead choose to glance down at herself to make sure her outfit was in working order and nothing had gone wrong or decided to pop out and say hi.

She'd chosen a simple green strappy to compliment her eyes, a black skirt that reached around mid-thigh ( forced upon her by none other then the blonde bimbo in front of her ) and a pair of small black heeled boots. Her hair was down, a few clips holding some of it back to the side so as to show off more of her "gorgeous, pale skin" according to Ino.

Basically this evening had just been a chance for Ino to play dress-up.

She sighed heavily and took a rather large gulp of her wine. As Ino started talking about her latest endeavours with men Sakura knew she was going to need more than just a glass of wine. She quickly chugged the rest, gagged slightly at the taste before excusing herself and escaping to the bar.

She sat down heavily on a stool and called the barman over.

"Large glass of your strongest drink, please" she muttered, rubbing her temples slightly. She hadn't exactly had the best few weeks, she'll admit. Obviously getting to know a certain Hyuuga as he stumbled into her apartment at god knows what time was a bonus, but the hospital was starting to overflow with patients and she didn't think her chakra could handle it; as well as being an on call medic ninja. She didn't mind the break from being in the hospital, but following her Anbu captain round for days as he tracked down missing nin, rogue nin, tracking Akatsuki's movements and anything else he could get his hands on was anything but tiresome.

The barman placed a large glass of some sort of clear liquid in front of her. She stared down at it and could of sworn she could actually _see_ the alcohol fermenting within it.

"Cheers" she murmured before taking the first sip of something that will probably knock her out for weeks.

"Rough day?" came a voice from behind her. She spluttered slightly and whirled around in her seat to see Neji Hyuuga staring straight at the glass in her hand with raised eyebrows. She gave him a small smile.

"More like a rough year…" she said, quietly so no one else could hear. He sat down in the stall next to her and called the barman over to order.

"I think I'll have whatever she's having" he motioned with one hand to the almost sizzling alcohol in the cup. As the drink was placed in front of the handsome man he suddenly looked as though he had made a wrong decision. He eyed the liquor carefully before raising it to his lips and taking a sip. His face scrunched up slightly before relaxing as he let out a sigh of relief.

"That's better" he smiled gently at the pretty girl to his left. She flushed slightly under his gaze and took another sip of her drink.

"I wouldn't of taken you for a drinker, Neji" she said, politely as possible.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Sakura. The first being that I enjoy a strong drink every now and then."

"How often is 'every now and then'?" her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared him down; she couldn't help but let her medic side kick in.

"Would you be worried if I said every day?" She smacked him on the arm when she noticed he was teasing.

"Seriously Neji, you're a ninja! You shouldn't be drinking on a regular basis--"

"Says the woman with about a pint glass full of pure sake in her hand" he answered back coyly.

_Smug bastard.. ._she thought, gingerly.

"This is a one off" she muttered, beginning to take more than just sips of her beverage.

* * *

Within about an hour, both Neji and Sakura had finished their drinks and were onto their second. Of course, the alcohol had kicked in by now and they were chatting and laughing animatedly with each other.

"Do you remember the time when you slipped on the mud during a fight and _I _had finish off your opponent!" she laughed, her drink sloshing slightly as her arm slipped off the bar.

He chuckled as he caught her arm gently, his fingers brushing against her bare skin. Her laughed died down and she couldn't help but feel the butterflies rise in her stomach as his had ran up her arm to her shoulder where he gave it a gentle squeeze. She gazed up into his face, admiring the gently smile that had stretched across his lips; his gorgeous, sexy lips that had curved into the perfect cupid bow, the hint of his straight teeth beginning to show as his grin widened.

"I think you'll find it was your fault that I slipped" he said, barely above a whisper; his eyes piercing her own with a heated gaze. She opened her mouth as his warm breath hit her lips and breathed it in; Neji thought it was possibly one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen. He gazed at her plump lips, shining under the dim light of the bar.

"That's not fair…" she mumbled back, all to aware of the fact that his hand was still on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing little circles across the side of her neck. She leaned in slightly to his touch and noticed him shift a little closer to her.

She watched eagerly as his eyes lingered on her mouth for a little longer than usual. She bit her bottom lip in what she hoped was a sort of drunken/attractive/sexy manner. She couldn't help but yell in triumph in her head as Neji's eyes darkened and he looked into her eyes, his breathing beginning to quicken in pace.

_I actually have an effect on him! Me? Haruno Sakura.._

Just as she was about to close the gap between them and kiss him senseless, not caring at all about the people surrounding them, the lights darkened and the music became louder, the bass suddenly kicking in and vibrating the room around them.

She squinted at the clock and just managed to make out 11 o'clock under the flashing lights.

"It becomes a club during the night" she heard Neji shout over the music. She looked up at him and couldn't help but let the disappointment show on her face. In a shot his hand reached out and grabbed her own, he yanked her forward and she landed with a slight thump onto his chiselled chest. She gripped his sides hard as he lifted her chin with his fingers, tracing the outline of her lips. Her tongue slipped out and she licked one playfully, looking up at him through clouded and drunken eyes. He chuckled in return and brought his face closer to hers.

"Sakura?" he asked, his nose almost touching hers.

"Yes?" she asked back, the tension between the two was driving her crazy.

"Sakura I….I think I…--"

"Neji!!" came a yell from behind him. All of sudden the warmth of his body was snatched away from Sakura as said man was yanked away. She looked up and saw the distant image of two brunette buns.

It was Tenten.

Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang of anger as the woman gave her a slight disconcerting look, as if not approving of the fact that her and Neji were about to kiss.

"Mind if I borrow him?" she asked smartly, not giving Sakura a chance to reply as she dragged Neji onto the now converted dance floor. She reached a hand out to his retreating form and just managed to catch his words over the music.

"…Sorry….will be back….Tenten!…" with those words, he disappeared into the crowd and Sakura was once again left alone with only the company of a glass of sake and her inner-self. She growled softly and was already conjuring up how she was going to get the brunette back when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

She turned and saw a flash of purple hair and opaque eyes. She smiled back at her friend and patted the seat next to her.

"Not dancing tonight, Sakura?" Hinata asked.

"Not in the mood.." she replied, slurring on her words slightly. Hinata noticed this and quickly plucked the glass out of her hand.

"Maybe we should put this down for a bit" she placed the glass gently on the bar behind and placed a hand on sakura's arm.

"You like him, don't you?" she asked, loud enough to be heard over the music. Sakura turned, bewildered, whilst trying to steady the beating of her frantic heart.

"W-what gave you that impression?" she stuttered nervously, laughing slightly.

"I saw you too earlier"

Sakura could honestly not read the expression on Hinata's face. She loved the Hyuuga more than anything but the only thing that bugged her was that Hinata didn't express herself during a difficult talk. She stared into the white eyes and tried to figure out if Hinata was disturbed, annoyed, angry or happy at the fact that Sakura had a slight (meaning BIG) crush on Neji. She sighed heavily, it suddenly dawning on her that she cant hide anything from this friend.

"Yeh, I think I do" embarrassment shone on her face as she suddenly realised she just confessed that she liked Hyuuga Neji. "Oh god!" she said, her head falling into her hands.

"Just go for it"

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said. Just go for it. Honestly Sakura, ive never seen Neji so normal and relaxed over the past couple of weeks; its your doing, I know it!" She gave Sakura an excited tug in the direction of the dance floor where she could just make out the figure of one Hyuuga Neji who was quiet obviously trying to avoid dancing at all costs.

She felt a surge of pride flow through her as she suddenly realised that if she didn't act now she would regret it later. She didn't know whether it was the sake or her inner-self saying that but it persuaded her enough to lift herself from her seat, straighten her skirt and walk purposely towards said man. She faltered slightly as she noticed that he'd lifted his head and was watching her approach with interest. She tried to not sway under the dizziness thwarting her head as she swayed her hips gently until finally, to what seemed like forever to Neji, she made it to him.

"Walk me home" she yelled over the booming music, grabbing his hand in the process. She expected him to protest a little and so was shocked when he all but dragged her outside into the fresh, cool night air. She breathed It in deeply and suddenly realised that she was beginning to sober up a little.

Ok. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

By the time they got back to hers she would be completely and utterly back to normal, boring old Sakura. She started to panic slightly and glanced at him sideways. He was currently breathing in the fresh air and staring straight at her, his opaque eyes creasing above his infectious smile. He gently took her hand, lacing his long fingers with her small delicate one.

"No point standing around" he said, leading her in the direction of her house. She trailed behind him and flushed when a stranger would look over at them with interest; taking them for a couple. She looked down at their adjoined hands whilst Neji talked to her about how annoying Tenten had become lately, clearly not being her usual self. She watched as his thumb ran across her knuckles gently, his fingers squeezing hers every now and then to reassure her and make sure she was still there. She smiled softly as she looked up at the pale, glowing face of her crush, grinning wider as she realised he was still slightly drunk; Hyuuga Neji never talks this much.

"So, what should I do?" He asked, turning to her.

She froze. "Err…sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, what shall I do about Tenten?"

Sakura managed to get the general jist of what he was talking about. "Just tell her" she mentally crossed her fingers, hoping it was a liable reason.

"Hmm." he pondered. "I don't think she'd take that very well. Maybe I'll just keep quiet for a while" he squeezed her hand before stopping in his tracks.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked, slightly dazed.

"This is your house, is it not?" he asked, slightly amused as he pointed at the apartment above them. Sakura didn't even turn around; she recognized the flower shop opposite. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks and she coughed slightly, ignoring the chuckled that escaped his lips.

"Thanks…for, you know walking me home ..and stuff…" she mumbled, embarrassed now that most of the alcohol was wearing out of her system. She turned to walk away but was stopped when his strong hand, still gripping hers, pulled her back slightly. She stumbled and turned to look at him, confused.

"Neji? What--"

In a flash she was pushed up against the wall of the shop she lived above. His hands either side of her as his body pushed up against hers. It was extremely dark under the shadow of the building and she could just make out the lustful sparkle in his eyes. She could feel his hot breath against her mouth and suddenly realised that he was going to kiss her.

He bent his head gently, slowing leaning closer to her until their mouths were inches apart. He looked up into her half-lidded eyes, silently asking for permission. She nodded slightly, trying to rid herself of the pool of pleasure that had settle neatly below her stomach.

And then she felt it.

The velvety soft touch of his lips against hers. It was only a simple brush, as if he was just testing her to see if she actually wanted this. Sakura smiled and revelled in the fact that her first kiss was as amazing as she'd imagined; at night, under the stars with the man of her dreams.

_Perfect……_she smiled.

* * *

Well here's the next chappie - I hope you all like and please if you don't like the couple then there's no need to leave a rude comment.

As always R+R!


	5. The start of something good

January had been and gone and Neji hadn't seen Sakura since the end of last year. He sighed heavily as his chest tightened at the thought. He had kissed her again, more passionately this time after their first tender one. He had forced himself to not move any farther than that for now and just bid her a good night and walked away. He wasn't, however, expecting to be put on a three week mission the day after.

"Shit…" he cursed, rubbing his forehead. _She must hate me now. _

He took a long drag on the cigarette that hung from his fingertips, blowing the smoke up into the air. He stared up at the sun that shone low in the western sky, his legs dangling out the edge of his window as he sat on the windowsill comfortably. He closed his eyes and revelled in the light-headed feeling that clouded his mind and the relaxing of his aching muscles.

Smoking was not something he did on a regular basis. If his Uncle found out that him, an elite ninja was killing his body with tar and nicotine he'd probably kick him out of the manor and onto the streets. He looked down into the Hyuuga compound gardens and smiled as the last of the snow was beginning to thaw showing specks of green grass beneath.

The Hyuuga manor was currently empty except for the odd maid here and there; they had gone out of town to settle business in fire and water countries and were going to be gone for a good month or two. Of course, he would of gone with them but he was on this ridiculous three week mission which meant he missed this particular trip.

In all honesty, he didn't really care.

"Means I get to see her again…" he muttered, drawing on the cigarette again.

"See who again?"

He jumped and whirled around to come face to face with one Haruno Sakura.

"S-Sakura!" he stuttered, desperately trying to hide the lit fag from the medic.

She smiled gently and began to walk over to him, her hips swaying from side to side.

"Im sorry for not letting you know I was coming over. One of the maids showed me up" she smiled again, expecting some sort of response but all she got was a nod and a taught smile.

That's when she smelt it.

The familiar smell that would waft across her face when Shikamaru brushed past her, or when she was in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a busy pub in the middle of the night, or how when she would drag a drunken Naruto home he would light up. She would scold him and tell him to drop it but he'd simply retort that its not like he was a chain smoker and that it was nice to have when every once in a while because it helped him relax.

She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. She would have one every now and then, especially when things got a little too stressful at the hospital. When she would eventually get home, she would grab her packet and head out to her balcony and smoke whilst watching the stars.

"Hyuuga Neji!" she began, about to give a speech on how he shouldn't be smoking when she realised that that would be _extremely_ hypocritical.

"Sakura, im sorry, I don't smoke all the time its just when things get too much. This mission I was on --"

He sat in shock as Sakura leaned right over him, the tip of her nose pressing gently against his as she bent her arm round and plucked the cigarette out of his fingers. He immediately thought she was going to put it out on his arm and scream and shout at him for being so stupid but was rooted to the spot when she lifted it to her lips and took a puff.

Sakura smiled as the familiar feeling took over. She took another long draw and let it out gently, enjoying the feeling of Neji looked at her like a fish out of water. She chuckled lightly and took another small puff before handing it back to him.

Neji thought that Sakura taking in his breath just before they were about to kiss was sexy but this was just incredible. He couldn't pin-point it exactly but watching her smoke was one of the biggest turn-on's he had ever experienced. He finally came to the conclusion that it was how mature, strong and confident it made her look. As well as the fact that her lips looked sexy as hell when they wrapped around the filter.

He cleared his throat and discreetly crossed his legs to avoid his most obvious reaction.

"That's better…" she smiled down at him and sat on the windowsill next to him.

"…that wasn't the reaction I was expecting." he chuckled, nudging her shoulder with his. She smiled shyly and looked away.

"Its alright to have one every now and then. I do it, too"

"Obviously!"

She smacked him lightly on the arm before turning back to watch the sun beginning to set.

"How did you know I was home?" he finally asked, the cigarette at his lips as he continued to smoke. Sakura chose to ignore the pool of pleasure that was building from watching him smoke and instead concentrated on answering his question.

"Tsunade-sama. I was with her today in the office"

"Hn." he grumbled, drawing on the cigarette again.

"Im sorry if I disturbed you, did you want to be alone?" she asked, her emerald orbs piercing his opaque ones with and intimidating gaze.

"No! not at all. Im glad you came."

To prove his point the gently laced his fingers with her own, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She smiled at the familiar butterflies that swarmed her stomach and gently laid her head on his shoulder, staring down at their joined hands. He placed his chin softly atop her head and they both fell into a comfortable silence.

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered, tracing her thumb across his knuckles.

"That I want to be with you"

"That's just you being cheesy and trying to flatter me." she scoffed. "What are you _really_ thinking?"

She moved her head and stuck him with that look again. She was looking at him expectantly. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was slightly ruffled in places, her clothes were creased from being at the hospital all day and her eyes were tired and worn. She was obviously not paranoid and didn't care what people though she looked like otherwise she would of made an effort before she came to see him.

To Neji, she looked perfect. He suddenly realised that this was someone who generally wanted to know all about him and not just trying to make polite conversation. He was finally seeing someone who he could open up too.

"Ok" he began. "Im thinking that the mission I just got back from was probably one of the most stressful, that Kiba made a big mistake and it nearly cost the life of one of my team and that im secretly glad that my family is out of town so I get to have the whole manor to myself. Im also dreading the check-up at the hospital tomorrow because I know how ruthless Tsunade is and im also dreading the mission report im going to have to write up because im going to have to include the miss-hap which may cost Kiba his place in Anbu."

He continued to stare out at the slowly setting sun before finally taking a peek at the woman sitting next to him. She had a strange look on her face that he couldn't quite figure out.

"What?" he asked, bemused.

"Are you really not thinking _anything_ about me?" shed asked, acting like a child Neji thought. He burst out laughing and squeezed her hand tighter. She pouted at his expression and smacked him on the thigh.

"Stop it!" she huffed.

"Sakura" he started, turning her to face him. "You _really _don't want to know what I think about you." he had a feral grin on his face as the hidden meaning lingered in the air around them. He laughed again as Sakura's face turned beetroot.

Sakura had of course noticed the intended meaning behind his words and couldn't even believe that he had said them. It was really not like him. She didn't care of course because she thought about him like that as well.

A lot.

Her flush grew hotter and she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. She chose to not reveal this and instead turned back to the view. Neji noticed this, of course.

"Sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?" he said softly.

She scoffed heavily. "Of course not! It was just a bit of a shock is all…"

She turned back to face him and suddenly realised that he was a lot closer than before. His thigh was brushing up against hers, his hand was squeezing hers so hard it was beginning to hurt and his face was inching closer, his eyes half-lidded. She leant into his form, her chest pressing up against his arm as she got lost in the moment.

"I meant it, Sakura…" he whispered, his breath washing across her lips. She did that thing again where her mouth opens and she breaths it in. Neji got a glimpse of her tongue and couldn't control himself any longer.

Suddenly Neji's lips were on hers and she revelled in the feeling of the butterflies in her stomach taking off. It was like they were a perfect fit; his mouth moved expertly across hers making her moan and groan in ways she had never experienced. His hands either gripped the back of her head or her waist or her thighs, anywhere that he could get a hold of he would.

Ino had always said that kissing Shikamaru was sometimes like making out with an ashtray, but Sakura didn't care with Neji. Yes, he tasted of smoke slightly but so did she.

The smell of _him _was overpowering enough to make her forget about it.

"Amazing." she breathed, her forehead resting against his, her eyes closed. He chuckled slightly and leant foreword, giving her quick chaste kiss before drawing her into his chest, his arms wrapping around her shoulders.

"Sakura?" he asked after a while.

"Yes?" she murmured, falling asleep in his arms.

"Go out with me." If it was any other man, she would of punched them in the face for being so controlling and pushy. But it wasn't any other man. It was Neji.

And she just couldn't resist.

"Ok.." she smiled under a cloak of happy tears.

* * *

Ok. First of all, I am NOT promoting smoking here. Its cancer with a capital C, guys. I personally don't smoke and I have absolutely nothing against smokers but it is bad for you so don't take this chapter as a hint.

Second of all; Yey for NejixSakura fluff ^^

Quite like this chappie - im just trying to build up the tension between the two really.

I may change this rating to an M for future chapters

R+R!!


	6. Gossip

Neji smiled as he strolled through the streets of Konoha. The hustle and bustle of the hidden leaf village was always interesting to walk through as you either bump into numerous people you know or end up chatting to a civilian you had never even met before. Of course, Neji isn't the type to just randomly start talking to strangers.

The stick was far too up his arse for that sort of behaviour.

He wasn't there to converse with villagers, anyway. He was currently heading in the direction of Konoha hospital to collect the blood test results he had had a couple of months ago; he hadn't had any time to collect them before due to missions and work.

It was also an excellent excuse to get a chance to see Sakura. A small smile formed on his lips as he thought of the pink haired beauty. Her smile was infectious as well as her laughter, and the soft touch of her silky hair was enough to make his often tense muscles relax into a dream-like state.

As he wandered through the crowd he began to hear whispering coming from behind him. He discreetly activated his Byuukagen and watched as a few girls here and there were watching him walk away, talking behind their hands. He growled slightly at this and turned to look at them. As soon as his opaque eyes caught theirs they scattered like wildfire, pretending to go about their daily business. He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to walking.

Not five minutes had past when the next set of whispering began. He looked to his right and watched a few guys grin and gave him a thumbs up.

_What? _He thought. _I don't even know these people. _

He smiled back, however, so as not to offend and began to pick up his pace. His head whipped to the left when a small group of women began talking quite loudly.

"Well, I heard he's with that pink girl…"

"Oh, you mean Tsunades' little assistant?"

"…Yeh that's the one…."

His eyes widened slightly as he suddenly cottoned on to what they were gossiping about. He glanced over at them nervously and watched as they started giggling.

They know.

They _know!!_

"Shit…" he cursed. If his Uncle found out about this before Neji had a chance to tell him then he was going to be in deep trouble; it was frowned upon to keep your personal life a secret in the Hyuuga compound.

He picked up the pace and set into an even jog, his sites set on the hospital and the little taddle tail that sat inside it.

"Running to her rescue, Hyuuga?" one man said as he ran past, grinning as he carried his basket of meat into the side shop. Neji gave him a passing glance over his shoulder before shaking his head.

_How do they all know? Sakura must of told someone…_

He growled at this; why would she tell? When he had specifically asked her to keep it a secret for now, just while his uncle and family were away on business. His anger began to build as he past a few more people who wolf-whistled and shouted out unnecessary comments.

"Off to see your damsel in distress?"

"Hey! Hyuuga! Never thought you'd get a girl!"

"Don't work her too hard, Hyuuga!"

The last comment caught him off guard and he whirled around to face whoever had spoken it. He spotted the man in an instant and had him pinned against the shop wall before anyone could bat an eyelid. His arm held him up under his chin, cutting off the air-supply to his throat.

"What did you say?" he hissed.

By this point, the whole street had stopped what they were doing and turned to watch the commotion beginning to brew. The man coughed and spluttered, dropping his bag of fruit that then rolled across the dirty street and into the surrounding drains.

"You know they penalty -- argh!-- for hurting…a civilian.." the man said, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. Neji's eyes narrowed and smirk began to set in.

"And you_, sir_, should now hopefully understand the penalty of insulting her" he grinned, dropping the man who fell to the floor in a heap. Neji reached a hand down and offered it to the man who was currently rubbing his neck.

"Now be a good sport and take my hand to show no hard feelings, ok?"

The man growled under his breath, gripping Neji's hand a little bit harder then necessary as he hauled him to his feet. Neji of course didn't feel the extra pressure the man applied and simply lifted him effortlessly. He brushed off the man's shoulders and gave him a small smile.

"See you later."

With that, he set into a run again, now ready to face Sakura as he had vented some of his anger. He noticed happily that the gossiping had stopped.

Nobody gets on the wrong side of a Hyuuga.

* * *

Sakura sighed heavily as he pen tapped earnestly against her desk. She sifted through the files again before signing her name and placing them to one side. She stared at the pile on the corner of her desk. It was all the papers she was suppose to do earlier but had been called into an emergency operation. She groaned and placed her head in her hands.

"This means im going to have to stay late tonight…"

A sharp knock on her door signalled a visitor and she jumped at the sudden interruption.

"Come in" she barked, expecting to see some shaking little newbie asking her how to stitch up a wound. She was shocked to see none other then her captain, friend and almost lover standing in the doorway.

"N-Neji! I wasn't expecting you until later this afternoon" she said, desperately trying to hide the mess that scattered her desk.

"Well I wasn't doing anything so I thought I would pop in earlier."

Sakura noticed the clipped tone in his voice and narrowed her eyes. She offered him a seat and watched as he slumped down, something clearly bothering him.

"Neji? What's wrong--"

"Who did you tell?" he asked, his eyes finding hers with an unreadable expression.

"What? I don't understand…"

"Who did you _tell_, Sakura?"

Of course she knew what he was talking about, she was just trying to avoid confrontation. She looked at him and tried to deceiver if he was angry, upset, annoyed or just downright embarrassed. She sighed and looked away, avoiding eye contact.

He noticed this. The way her pupils drifted to the bottom left hand corner of her eyes suggested that she was guilty of something. He suddenly felt guilty himself for confronting her so bluntly, but it had to be done. He leant forward in his chair to try and get her to look at him.

"Im not mad, Sakura. I would just like to know who you told. And why for that matter"

"Well, Hinata already knew.." she said quietly. "But the other day, Ino noticed that I was acting differently, happier I guess" she added with a smile in his direction. "She just guessed it!" her voice was becoming a little desperate.

"Sakura--"

"I swear to you Neji, she guessed that it was you! She said that she had seen us together at the party and I _had_ told her about when I fixed you up that one night and then she just started asking all these questions and I couldn't stop it! It was like word vomit!"

He watched bemused as she rattled off this ridiculous story about how Ino had drilled Sakura with questions until she had given up and spilled everything to her. Now it became obvious why the whole village knew; the number one Konoha gossipier had been given some dirty juice.

"Everyone knows?" she asked, suddenly rising from her seat to go kneel next to him.

"Well, unless the guy I pinned up in the street was joking, then yes everyone knows"

"The guy you pinned up in the street?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"You didn't hear what he said about you" he retorted, snorting as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Neji, you could get in trouble for that.."

"Something tells me that he wont tell anyone." He smirked. She smiled shyly at the thought of him defending her honour.

"Im so sorry, Neji. I didn't mean for this to happen"

He opened his arms in invitation and she happily slipped into his lap, laying her head on his shoulder as his strong arms embraced her tightly.

"Its ok. I don't mind." he smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze. She giggled and squeezed him back, looking up into his opaque eyes. She pressed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss and watched as he grinned, chuckling lightly. The sound of his baritone voice sent a tingle up her spine and she leant forward to peck him lightly on the lips. She pulled back and stared at him lovingly.

"Im going to kill Ino…" he said against her lips and he kissed her again. She giggled and leant into him, enjoying the feel of his chiselled chest pressed up against hers, his warm arms embracing her gently.

The door burst open and the smell of flowers overcame the couple in the chair as they turned to see none other then the source of their irritation bounce in.

"Ne, Sakura-chan I have a _little _problem with that thing you told--" Ino stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the two sitting in the chair. She blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She ended up looking like a fish out of water instead of the blonde bomb-shell she really was.

"Ah, sorry!" she laughed nervously. "I didn't mean to…err.. I guess I'll just be going…" she turned to walk out when a voice froze her to the spot.

"Hold it, Blondie" Neji said, a twinge of anger in his voice. She turned to him and smile sweetly.

"Yes, Neji-kun?" her voice like honey.

"You've got some explaining to do…"

* * *

So not much fluff this time, sorry people. This was a quickie I just put together now because I wanted there to be a chapter where the gossiping began and then this idea just hit me and so I ditched whatever work I was doing and started typing!!

You gotta love a good brain storming moment.

Anywho, R+R!


	7. Thunder

First of all, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the people who have reviewed - seriously guys, I wouldn't still be writing these little one-shots if it wasn't for all the amazing things you write. Im so glad that you all enjoy them so much and that my writing is actually good enough to keep you reading!!! I cant explain how nice it feels - so thank you to:

soccersyd

hoshia - for a particularly wonderful comment!! thank you!!

The Black Rose 1995

Flamegirl5500 SmilingArtist- Echo Uchiha

LacrimosaDiesIlla

Sakura-blossoms228 cacrulz

Twisted Musalih Kgirl17

elite-kunoichi burningflower

I really appreciate all you wrote and EVERY comment means a lot to me - I hope you guys keep reading! =]

Right on with the next chappie…

* * *

Sakura pondered on what her future with Neji was going to entail as she balanced neatly on her hands; practicing her concentration was proving difficult when all she could think about was _him_. She growled lightly and dropped silently to her feet before standing up. She wiped a hand across her forehead and stared up at the sun. It was now spring and the weather was beginning to get hot.

Two months had past since her and Neji had become 'official'. They had, and still were, the talk of the village. It seemed that they weren't exactly the couple that everyone would put together. Oddly, Naruto hadn't said anything to her about it. She knew he had found out and was quite aware of their relationship but he hadn't muttered a word since, instead busying himself with missions and work for Tsunade-sama.

"I suppose it's a good thing…." she muttered, staring over at her training partner as he punched and kicked the air, practising his hand to hand combat. She sighed and walked over to a nearby tree, sitting down to lean against its rough bark to provide herself with a drink and a well needed break; they'd been at it all morning.

She let her thoughts wonder again and a sudden overwhelming sensation of nervousness settled in as she thought about Neji's Uncle. The Hyuuga's were still not back from their business trip abroad; it was one that they took every two years to manage the Houses' finances and to make sure everything was in check so it was understandable that they would be away for a good five to six months. She fidgeted at the thought of Hiashi coming back to find out about the pair from a village civilian or Tsunade-sama instead of Neji himself, or worse, walking in on them doing something…_private_.

She blushed furiously at the thought of her and Neji doing the dirty. Of course, they'd been together for a couple of months, but she had her pride and so did he so neither and taken the plunge and made the first move to initiate it. She wasn't a virgin and she certainly knew Neji wasn't so obviously the sex wouldn't be that bad, would it?

She smiled gently as a her eyes half-lidded slightly at the memories that came flooding back. Her and Neji had done stuff, just not a lot. There was the kissing for starters; now THAT was good, and then there was the fondling and rubbing and grinding and all the good feelings that came with it, but just the thought of her body pressed against his as they made love caused her to almost keel over. She blushed and giggled slightly as a particularly passionate moment played itself over in her head.

"What are you laughing at?"

Sakura jumped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Naruto towering over her, sweat beading across his fore-head.

"N-Nothing…" she smiled before going back to drinking her water, avoiding eye contact. Naruto sighed and plopped down next to her.

"Sakura, we need to talk…" he mumbled, obviously feeling awkward that he was having to bring up this conversation.

"Naruto.." she started, a slight warning in her voice.

"Just, let me speak. Ok?" she sighed and nodded, glancing up into his cerulean blue eyes.

"You and Neji…it just…doesn't feel right…" he started, eyeing her reaction carefully only to find she remained passive.

"He's dangerous, and I don't mean to you. He's an Anbu captain, elite ninja and probably the best we've got. His skills go farther and beyond hardly anyone's."

"So he can protect me--" she began to fight back.

"Yes that's all well and good, Sakura, but he could also snap at any moment!" Naruto almost shouted. "Ive seen him fight Sakura, you say one wrong thing and he could seriously hurt you; its like he cant control his strength or something.." he finished, looking confused as past memories swept over him.

"It wont last and you know it, Sakura." He looked over at her in earnest. "Please you have to understand; I just don't want you to get hurt"

He reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder. In an instant she slapped it away, adding some chakra so as to make it sting. She stared at him, hard. Her eyes drilling into his as she tried to make sense of what he had just said. Neji? _Dangerous? _Of all the things he could of said, he just had to say that.

Now she was mad.

"Don't you _dare_ think that you can get away with saying that to me.." she hissed angrily, tears pricking her eyes.

"S-Sakura, wait..--"

"You don't know him, Naruto!! You don't know him like I do, NO ONE does!" she shouted, tears now running down her face. "How can you say that! He's going out with ME so don't you dare EVER say that again, do you understand?" she screamed, pushing him in the shoulders, forcing him to reply. He nodded frantically, desperately trying to figure out a way to stop her from crying.

"I cant believe you said that…" she choked, a hand coming up to cover he mouth as she tried to cover up a sob, backing away from him gently.

"Sakura, wait!" he cried, reaching after her as she turned and ran into the forest, heading for the direction of Konoha and no doubt, Neji. His hand dropped to his side as he watched her retreating form. He grit his teeth, his fingers tightening into a fist as he realised what he had done.

He let out a roar of anger and punched the tree beside him. The trunk cracked under the pressure and toppled over, a deafening sound echoing around the training grounds. He sighed and let his breathing even out before he lifted his head to the sky and felt the first drops of rain spit down onto his face. He opened his eyes and stared at the black clouds that were beginning to form and roll in over Konoha; he smiled at the irony.

"Shit…." he cursed, collapsing to his knees as the reality of what he had said began to set in.

* * *

Neji fidgeted nervously as he watched the thunder clouds roll in, the distant rumble beginning to get louder with each passing minute. He sighed shakily and slammed his shutters closed, pacing over to his bed where he deftly sat and began making himself comfortable. He lit a few candles on his bedside table, crossed his legs in a meditating position and closed his eyes; concentrating on peace of mind and a tranquil state and not the insistent storm that was settling in over Konoha.

He jumped when a particularly loud thunder crack caught him unawares, sweat beginning to bead across his forehead.

"Shit…" he cursed, fumbling around in his draws to find the pills that Tsunade gave him. "She said there weren't going to be any storms…" he complained. His hands were starting to shake as the rain began to patter across his rooftop. He finally stumbled upon the small pot of pills and frantically began to try and un-pop the lid.

Now, there aren't many things Hyuuga Neji is afraid of. Infact, there are hardly any. But if there's one thing that he cant stand, it would have to be thunder. He hated to admit it and hadn't told anyone; the only one who knows is Hinata ( and now Tsunade) and she would often come and stay with him in his room when a particularly bad storm hit. But recently, she'd been away on business, and obviously when he's on missions she wont be there for the support, so he went to Tsunade in desperation and told her in a dignified manner that there must be something she can do for him. She prescribed him with sleeping pills, strong ones at that, so that he could just sleep through the noise and wake up once it had past.

He hated having this petty phobia and wished that it would just pass so that he could lead a relatively normal Ninja life, however fate apparently had a different opinion and wasn't letting up anytime soon. He sighed when the lid finally popped off in his frantic attempts and he poured the contents onto his bed sheets.

He fumbled around and picked out two tablets before leaping up and grabbing the jug of water from his desk. The anticipation was building and he knew another loud crack was imminent but it seemed to be holding its breath. He quickly poured a glass and chucked the pills in, watching them dissolve; they seemed to be taking longer than usual.

The thunder finally cracked, the roaring noise almost shaking the house as it hit straight overheard. Neji froze, his breathing came to a complete standstill as the lights flickered above him, his shutters blowing open due to the strong winds; which now swept through his room, scattering papers and blowing out the candles in the process.

The door to his room swung open with a deafening crack and he jumped, bewildered at the sudden intrusion. The glass slipped from his fingers as he leapt into the air; the noise of the sliding door hitting the frame sounded all to familiar to the roaring noise outside. He whirled around in his confusion to try and confront who ever had just practically broken into his room when he came face to face with a rather wet looking Sakura.

"Sakura-chan?…" he asked. He let out a huge sigh of relief when the shadow figure nodded. "Jesus, Sakura…" he breathed, clutching the cloth around his chest to try and stop his beating heart.

"Neji…"

His head shot up when he noticed the sob in her voice. He walked over to where she stood and tilted her chin up to look at him only to find fresh tears streaming down her pale and rain sodden cheeks.

"Ne, Sakura, what happened?" he asked softly, brushing the hair away from her face, momentarily forgetting the onslaught of terror that was racking the hidden village outside.

"Naruto!!" she wailed, throwing herself into his arms as she cried into his chest. Neji immediately went over the thought processes in his head about what she meant. Naruto wasn't dead, that was for sure because he wasn't on any missions and probably at the ramen shack spending his weeks worth of money on food. Death being ruled out, Neji looked at illness? No that wasn't possible; the Kyuubi inside Naruto fought off all signs of disease and infection. A confrontation was probably the cause of all this---

He was cut short when another thunder clap sounded overhead. He had completely forgotten about the storm when Sakura had arrived. His hands clenched around her tighter as his chest tightened. The sweat began to bead again as he tried to control his now heavy and laboured breathing.

Sakura gently pulled away from him and looked up with a raised eyebrow. She sniffled the last of her tears down and peered up in the darkness to find the cause of Neji's distress.

"Are you sick?" she asked, pressing her hand against his forehead. He shook his head, releasing his hold on her in the process as he stepped back to get away from her. She glanced around his room at the mess of papers before her eyes landed on his open shutters.

"Neji, are you crazy?! Don't leave them open!" she cried, running forward to push the shutters closed against the strong winds and rain. She flipped the latch and watched as the shutters shook under the force of the storm. She rolled her eyes at the typical Konoha weather and turned around the find Neji sitting on his bed, his eyes wide and staring at the fabric below him.

"Neji?" she asked, trying to get his attention as she walked over to his bed. "What's wrong?"

He jumped slightly when she sat on the bed next to him. He suddenly realised that the pills were still lying all over his sheets as well as the empty pot.

"What are these?" she almost snapped, picking up a pill to analyze it carefully. The tip of her tongue snuck out and she licked the side of the pill, tasting it to confirm what it was.

"Why are you taking sleeping pills…" she murmured as she began to pick them up and place them back in pot. The shutters rattled again as another thunder clap hit and she watched as Neji's fingers clutched the sheet beneath him. Her mind worked slowly as she stared from the window and back to Neji again, repeating the motion until she understood what was wrong.

She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Your afraid of thunder"

"I am not!" he retorted, gaining some vigour back to protect his pride.

"Oh please!" she snorted. "Im not stupid, Neji!" she laughed lightly. She stopped abruptly however when she noticed him turn his head away and frown.

"Hey, come on I was just teasing." she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back gently onto his pillows. "Just relax…" she murmured. "I'll help you sleep"

Neji watched mesmerized as Sakura threw one leg over his other side so that she was straddling his hips. She pressed her hands on either side of his hips and pressed gently, running her hands up and down his sides and along his stomach muscles. Neji suddenly realised that she was giving him a massage and trying to help him relax, so he complied by just closing his eyes and steadying his breathing.

"Good…" she muttered, her hands working magic on his chest and muscles as she sent him into a complete relaxed state. She couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks as she suddenly realised her rather compromising position above him. She shook her head, droplets of left over rain flicking about her in the process, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand.

After a while, the soft snores of one sleepy Hyuuga could just be heard over the noise of the storm. Sakura smiled softly as she looked down at the peaceful state of her boyfriend. She leant forward and pressed her lips softly to his in a chaste kiss. She was glad that she was able to help him get through his phobia, like he had done for her countless times before; she shuddered at the thought of the eight-legged creatures.

She set about on her next task which was to light a scented oil on Neji's bedside table that was supposed to help with relaxing. She then began clearing up the shattered glass on the floor along with the spilt water. She grabbed a towel and dried her hair roughly before rummaging around in his draws for spare, dry clothing. She stumbled across one of his old Haioris and smiled softly; he'd always looked so handsome in these. She gently slipped her wet clothes off and hung them on the back of his chair before popping the oversized shirt on. She shuffled over to the sleeping man and pushed him over gently before snuggling up under his arm and laying her head on his warm chest.

Neji unconsciously shifted his weight, his arm wrapping around Sakura's shoulders as he held her tightly. Sakura smiled happily into his side, gripping his waist as she began to slip into a peaceful sleep.

_How could Naruto say that? _She pondered.

_If only he could see us now, then he would maybe understand…._

* * *

Naruto jumped lightly down onto the tree branch, his raincoat clutched tightly around him, the hood up far enough to cloak his eyes under a film of darkness. He peered down through the rain at the closed shutters of the Hyuuga manor and scowled in annoyance.

Of course he knew she was in there, it was rather obvious that she wasn't going to go anywhere else after their little spat. He sighed and jumped down the tree to a branch closer to the window and settled in for the night. He wasn't there to 'protect' Sakura, but merely trying to apologize. He made himself comfortable before training his eyes on the shuttered window, waiting for the opportunity that may arise when those shutters opened so he could jump inside and make his apology.

"Sakura…" he whispered, the rain running down the tip of his nose.

"Im so sorry….."

* * *

Tadaaaaa!!! Chapter whatever it is now ! This is probably one of the longest ones so far - just because I had a need to create some tension between Naruto and Sakura so that there would be some sort of rivalry going on between Naruto and Neji - all shall be revealed in the next chapter (as in what the hell im going on about)

R+R as always !


	8. Broken Promises

_**A stinging slap echoed around the walls of Sakura's apartment. Silence ensued; Sakura's head was whipped to the side, her eyes wide and her skin pale, besides the rather large red spot that was beginning to form on her left cheek. Neji's hand was still raised, his breathing was heavy and broken in places as he stared down in shock at what he had just done. **_

_**Sakura could vaguely hear Neji in the background as he continuously apologized, his words a vague blur as she stared at the wooden floor, her head still turned. As soon as his fingers brushed against her skin she flinched away, the only sound being Naruto's words repeating themselves over and over again in her head. **_

"…_**but he could snap at any moment!!"**_

"…_**its like he cant control his strength or something.." **_

**Neji could already feel her slipping away. He grit his teeth and bit the inside of his mouth as he screamed and shouted at himself in his head for the pain he had just inflicted on her. **

**They had been arguing, again; probably the fourth or fifth argument they'd had that week. Neji was getting fed-up with Sakura's stubbornness and the late shifts she was being forced to work at the hospital and in Neji's Anbu troop, if you were stubborn and didn't follow orders than you were punished. Sakura knew that all too well. **

**He reached out to her again, although this time she didn't flinch away but let him stroke the cheek he'd just slapped. He brought some chakra to his fingertips and watched, satisfied, as the red handprint began to fade under his gentle ministrations. **

**Sakura closed her eyes and tried to feel his gentle touches as the Neji she knew before he'd just hit her. His anger had gotten the better of him, she knew that. Of course he didn't mean to slap her, he'd just gotten caught up in the moment. She also knew that as an Anbu Captain, Neji was supposed to keep his squad in order and a simple way of doing that was often physical violence. His ninja side had just taken over for a moment and he couldn't control his movements. But the more she told herself this, the more she began to doubt his intentions. **

"**Sakura…" he murmured, so quietly she thought she hadn't heard it. She turned to look at him, her eyes were blank; a pale green that reflected how she felt at that moment. Empty, lost, **_**alone. **_

"**I'm so sorry…"**

**She looked up at him, this time her eyes had regained some of their vigour and her skin wasn't as pale. She looked at him for a long while, as if deciding whether or not to accept his apology. Neji prayed to whatever God was in the sky to let her accept and come back to his arms so that he could never be so reckless again. **

**A few minutes passed, and Sakura finally nodded. It was small and not really a full nod but she moved her head up and down none the less. Neji let out a sigh of relief and brought a shaky hand up to his forehead, rubbing gently. **

"**I really thought--"**

**Neji's words were cut off as Sakura's fist slammed into his face. He was sent flying across the room and collided with the opposite wall. An obvious dent formed as his back slid and he landed in a clump on the floor. Pain seared through his nose and up to his head were a nasty ache began to set in. He groaned and brought a hand to try and stop the vast flow of blood. His vision was slightly dizzy but he could just make out Sakura's bare feet as she made her way over to him. **

**She knelt down next to him, leaning in close to his face so that he looked up into her dark, emerald eyes. **

"**You hit me again Neji, and we're **_**over**_."

His head reeled at her words and he felt a few tears prick his eyes; partly also due to the searing pain that was travelling through his face.

"Now.." he heard her say. "That was for hitting me" she motioned to the mess his face was in. " and this.." she cupped his face, ignoring the blood that was trickling down his chin. "This is for realising you were wrong and saying your sorry…"

With that said, she leant in and pushed her lips against his. The first thing she tasted was the tang of iron as his blood spilled into her mouth slightly, but beyond that was the familiar scent of _him_, Hyuuga Neji, the man whom she had come to know so well in the past few months.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes, a small smile evident on her mouth; his blood smeared across it and down her chin.

She brought her hands up to his face, a glowing green surrounded her hands as she began to heal his broken nose. He slowly felt the pain ebb away and a dull tiredness set in; the effects of her healing chakra running through his system. He sighed and closed his eyes whilst she worked. She was saying something about them needing to talk about their differences and sort out their issues before moving any further forwards in their relationship, but he was barely able to listen as the darkness settled in and his thoughts consumed him, forcing him into a deep yet restless slumber.

Sakura smiled gently down at the man beneath her, stroking her fingers down his cheeks. She knew he hadn't meant to hit her, but she couldn't shake the words out of her head. She sighed and concluded that she just needed to think things over before she made any decisions.

Once she finished fixing up his injuries she placed him on her sofa and covered him with one of her blankets, she also propped a few pillows under his head to help ease the headache that was probably thumping due to her rather spontaneous comeback.

She straightened up and brushed of her clothes before looking up to see none other than Naruto standing in her doorway. He was staring at the wall where Neji had hit, his gaze travelling down to the small droplets of blood that surrounded the area. She watched nervously as his fists clenched then unclenched, his teeth grit tightly.

"Sakura…" he began. "What the hell happened?"

-------------------

It was the day after the incident and the streets of Konoha were bustling with the sounds and laughter of people going about their daily business. Women were chattering in the cool shade that some of the buildings provided, despite the midday sun, and groups of men were either hauling baskets full of food or making quick DIY repairs to the outside of their shops.

Shikamaru sighed as he strolled down a particularly busy street, side-stepping civilians and trying to avoid any physical contact; if he were to accidentally knock someone over it could be counted for as assault due to his rank in Anbu.

"Troublesome…" he muttered under his breath as he dodged a particularly busy woman who was clearly not looking where she was going.

After a while, he stopped and turned his attention towards the sky. A few white clouds were beginning to roll in across the vast expanse of blue and he had to blink a few times under the blinding sun before he could focus on them. A serene look passed over his face and his features relaxed slightly. Lately, he'd been really tense over a few rather troublesome incidents on recent missions as well as the fact that Ino wouldn't lay off his back and give him some breathing space to himself. It was little moments like this that he cherished; no one around to bother him, only the odd civilian that walked past and gave him an odd look; he chose to ignore them though.

His peace and quiet was not going to last however as a loud shout echoed and bounced off the buildings in Konoha. Shikamaru's ears pricked at the familiar voice and he audibly sighed. He also noted the tone of the voice.

Naruto did not sound happy.

Shikamaru barely had time to think as he was thrown back into the air due to the force of the explosion. He slammed into the side of a building and felt it crumble under the impact. He coughed and spluttered as he staggered to his feet, glancing around at the screaming civilians.

"Shit…" he cursed as stared at the mess made. He quickly grabbed a young woman and pulled her out of the way of the slowly collapsing building, throwing her to the side just in time. She looked up at him in thanks but he had already gone, sprinting towards the scene of the crime.

He stumbled to a halt, shock and confusion written over his face as he stared at the hand sticking out of the rubble where the explosion had happened. He recognised the familiar Haori of the Hyuuga clan and couldn't help but blanch at the site of his crumpled friend amongst the mess. Shikamaru ran forward to help Neji out of the rubble but was stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to come face to face with the Kyuubi holder. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the dangerous aura that was floating around the air between them. He let out a shaky breath and stared at the whiskered face of his friend, trying to get through the red haze that had taken over his normally friendly blue eyes.

"I'm not finished yet…" he whispered darkly, his eyes darting to the Hyuuga that was starting to come around.

"Naruto--" Shikamaru started but didn't have time to finish as he was suddenly shoved aside, Naruto flying past him in a blur of black and red.

"No, Naruto **don't**!" Shikamaru shouted, jumping up from the floor to try and grab hold of the out of control man.

Naruto launched himself on Neji, grabbing him around the neck and slamming him into the building behind, holding him off the ground. Neji spluttered and struggled against the tight hold that was growing ever stronger.

"**Say your sorry**!" Naruto roared, his face dangerously close to Neji's.

"S-so---r.." Neji choked, his broken hands grappling uselessly at Naruto's wrists. His vision was starting to fade but he could just make out Shikamaru and a few others pulling Naruto off of him. He barely even felt himself fall to the ground, just laying there, taking in the pain and discomfort of his wounds and broken bones. His throat was burning from the pressure of Naruto's hands and he choked slightly as the saliva began to build up in his mouth.

"No let me go!" he could hear Naruto shouting. "He promised! He promised me he would never hurt her--"

Neji groaned as Shikamaru pulled him into his lap.

"Shit, Neji…" he said, staring down at the state of his comrade. He glanced over the rest of his body to check the injuries and noticed that a lot of them were broken bones and charred skin.

"We need to get you to the hospital.." he murmured, hoisting the heavy man onto his back; he could already feel his leg muscles burning. "Troublesome…" he muttered, shifting Neji's weight to an easier position. His ears twitched to try and catch what Neji had whispered but missed it.

"What'd you say?" He asked, trying to keep Neji conversing so he wouldn't fall unconscious and be a complete dead weight. Although he was pretty much half-way there.

"I said….I deserved it…" he gasped into Shikamaru's back.

It was then that the shadow wielder realised that this problem ran a lot deeper then he deemed to care. He rolled his eyes and set his sites on the hospital.

"One step at a time, Neji." he replied. "One step at a time…"

-----------------

Wah I'm so sorry for the late update - hectic times call for hectic measures, eh?

Hope you enjoyed this chappie, just me as per usual creating tension - lots and lots of tension =]

R+R!


	9. Crimson

I noticed in the last chapter that the font kind of muddled its self up :S so I'll try and fix that but for the mean time, here's the next chappie !

* * *

Sakura sprinted down the corridors of Konoha's hospital, her feet slapping insistently against the tiled floor. Her lab coat whipped out behind her as she threw her arm out to the side, pushing a young medic out the way.

"**Move**!!" she roared as she picked up the pace, racing towards the surgery unit on the other side of the building. People scattered and parted for her, dropping their clipboards and various equipment as she shoved past them. A few shouted after her, annoyed at her lack of respect. She ignored them, however, her sights set on making it to the room in time.

She rounded the corner at the end of the hall and skidded to halt outside the first surgery room. She grasped the handle and burst in, not giving herself time to gather herself and collect her senses.

Her breathing stopped at the site before her, her eyes wide with shock and panic as she stared at the broken man on the bed. His head was turned towards her and his opaque eyes were bloody and half-open in his un-conscious state, he had been stripped of most clothing to reveal his gruesome injuries.

Her hands came to cover her mouth and she felt tears well up in her eyes as she stared at Neji on the surgery table.

"Sakura!!" Tsunade shouted, rounding on her student. Sakura jumped and stared up at her shishou, trying to take in the scene in front of her.

"You either stay and help, or get the **hell** out! **Understand**?" she yelled over the noise of the bustling medics healing Neji.

Sakura's hands dropped to her sides and her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded sternly at the Hokage. She strode forward and rolled up the sleeves of her lab coat, ignoring Neji's dead eyes that were still facing her.

"Status?" she snapped to one of her subordinates.

"Multiple broken bones and lacerations across his chest and arms. Hands and knuckles are crushed and his thigh bone is fractured. He took a nasty blow to the head as well as what looks like finger marks across his neck." The young woman looked up at her master with sympathy.

"He's going to be ok.." she muttered, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder. The woman tensed under the contact, but smiled none the less.

"I know…" She replied softly. "Thank you" she nodded at her student before going back to the task at hand. Placing her hands over his chest, she took one more look at his dead face before pouring her chakra into his system.

_Neji… _she thought. _Please be ok…_

-------------------

It must be a dream. It had to be. There was no way that what he was currently seeing was actually happening.

Neji stared at the pink haired woman in front of him, her slender curves were accented greatly as she gently lifted a leg out of the bath-tub, humming quietly to herself as she scrubbed herself clean from the days work. His mouth felt like glue as he stared at her flushed cheeks, his gaze dipping to the edge of the bath that covered her chest.

"Neji-kun…" she cooed, her eyes slipping stealthily to the side to fix her heated gaze with his rather confused one. She giggled as she flicked water in his direction.

"Want to join me?" she teased over the edge of the bath-tub, lifting her leg again to catch his attention. He remained frozen to the spot, currently taking in his surroundings consisting of plain, endless white; no walls, doors or windows, just white. He glanced back at Sakura who was now leaning her hands against the tub, her head resting gently on top. Her gaze was lidded and her lips had curved upwards into a grin.

"No?" she let her assumed answer linger in the air before shifting her weight.

"Very well…" she murmured. "I guess I'll just have to come to you then."

His cheeks flared as she rose out of the bath, the suds running off her curves in all directions. She stretched her naked body teasingly before gently stepping out, turning her figure so her skin stretched over her toned muscles. She padded towards him leaving a pool of water behind each step. Neji gulped as he kept his gaze fixed completely on her stomach; he refused to let his eyes wander across her petite form.

"Neji…" she cooed again, she was only a few feet away now. She reached a hand out towards him and smiled sweetly. "Come on! Its only me.."

As the words left her mouth, a single drop of blood fell from her outstretched fingertips. Neji watched in horror as the water that was trickling down her body slowly turned a bright crimson. His breathing became ragged as the blood pooled at her feet in a never ending torrent of red. He shivered slightly as he stared up at her still smiling face, she was still beckoning him to come forwards. He stifled a gasp as the blood began to spill from her mouth, pouring out her nose and slowly starting to drip from her closed eyes. He jumped to his feet in a blind panic at her state and immediately tried to run towards her.

He blinked in surprise and stared down at his feet. He suddenly felt heavy and pain started to sear throughout his entire body. He cried out in agony as he dropped to his knee, the weight becoming to much on his shoulders.

His skin prickled when he heard Sakura choke. He looked up in vein against the dead weight on top of him and felt his blood run cold when he saw Sakura's face begin to fall; her smiled turned upside down and a confused look took over her features and she slowly let her eyes travel down the length of her body. He watched helplessly as she paled and brought her shaking hands up to eye-level. He flinched when she let out a blood-curdling scream, her hands desperately trying to wipe the blood from her body. She fell to her knees and looked up at him in fear.

"Neji.." she choked. "Neji, please stay don't leave! Help me, **please! Neji**!!"

He struggled against the weight and managed to stagger to his feet.

"Sakura!" he called, reaching out to her retreating from. "Sakura, wait!" he frantically tried to move his legs so her could run after her disappearing into the distance. He could still hear her desperate calls for help as she choked out his name.

"Sakura, just wait, I'm coming! I'm coming!" he shouted after her, his voice horse from the yelling.

The pain began to sear through his body again, bringing him down on both knees this time. He grunted against the pressure and bit his tongue to keep from crying out. His eyes snapped up when he felt the pressure in the room loosen slightly. He looked around frantically as the white slowly turned into a grey that grew darker and darker until he was consumed by black.

"No, no please. I need to get to Sakura! **Sakura!" **he called out into the abyss before the darkness consumed him completely and his eyes closed in an effort to escape from the nightmare.

He felt a tight grip on his shoulders and a sudden shaking. He groaned against the contact as the pain that had once shattered his body had now set into a dull ache. He felt a bright light against his eyes and couldn't help but squint slightly as he slowly opened them.

"Neji! Neji! **Wake up**!!" he heard a muffled sound from above him. His eyes shot open as he immediately recognized the voice. The white walls of the hospital confused him and he immediately shot up in the bed as he searched for the bleeding, pink haired beauty.

"Sakura!" his head reeled at the sudden movement and he immediately slumped forward, unable to support himself. He felt a pair of strong hands catch him with practised ease before gently laying him back against propped up pillows.

"There we go. Try and take it easy for now, ok?" he heard her voice gently soothing him. He turned to face her and his dull tired eyes immediately lit up at the sight.

This was her. This was the real Sakura. Her hair was its usual dishevelled mess after a long shift at the hospital, her cheeks were flushed and her emerald eyes were filled with worry and concern. He felt a wash of a relief pass through him as he realised that his gruesome memory was just a dream and not reality.

He still felt slightly disorientated and slowly began to take in his surroundings. He was, unfortunately, quite clearly in hospital. He sighed heavily as he noted how bandaged and sore his body felt. He suddenly felt a wash of heavy depression run through his mind as he recalled exactly why he had come to be here in the first place. He was about to let his thoughts consume him when he felt a slight brush of fingertips across his hand. He turned to the woman sitting next to him and was slightly shocked to see tears brimming around the edges of her eyes and spilling over the side to run down her cheeks.

"Thank god your ok.." she whispered, before gently leaning over and laying her head across his chest. The familiar scent of her shampoo washed over his face and he felt his sore muscles relax. He brought a bandaged hand up to her head and gently patted it, soothing her sobs into his hospital gown.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." he whispered quietly against her pink locks.

"Don't you dare scare me like that again, Neji." she warned him, lifting her head to look into his tired, pale face. She smiled sweetly at him, uncomfortably reminding Neji of the nightmare he had just experienced. He opened his mouth to speak his thoughts to her and tell her what he had seen but chose to not scare her anymore then he already had.

She gently stroked a hand across his cheek before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. She didn't care that he hadn't brushed his teeth or showered since he had been rushed into the hospital, she didn't care about what had happened before now. The past is the past and after seeing Neji in such a state on the surgery table really put things in perspective for her. They needed to move on, together.

Neji placed a hand behind her head and pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss into one that would of led else where if he were not in so much pain. His mouth moved expertly over hers, massaging her to point of no return. She momentarily forgot about his wounds and climbed into his lap, rubbing her pelvis experimentally against his. He immediately grimaced at the sharp pain that shot though his lower stomach and ended the kiss with a short grunt of discomfort. She giggled softly and leant forward so that her weight sat on her knees either side of him.

"Think I got a little carried away…" she mumbled against his lips. He nodded in return.

She swiftly leapt of his lap and quickly straightened herself out.

"Now, you stay put, you hear me? I don't want any of that pulling the wires out and walking out of the hospital with your bum showing through that gown complaining that you have work to do." she finished with a cross of her arms. He couldn't help but give a small smile at her words before a yawn stumbled out of his mouth and consumed the words on his lips.

"Get some sleep, sweetie. I'll be back to check on you soon.." she ran a hand down his arm before turning on her heel and walking to the door. She hadn't made it half-way across the room when Neji's soft snores began to echo against the walls.

She closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as her thoughts wandered to where she was headed next. She opened her eyes and glared at the door as she continued forward, Naruto's image flitting throughout her mind. She scowled softly as her fists tightened in grip.

_That Kyuubi boy had better be ready for some serious ass-kicking…_

* * *

Yey next chapter done! Put a bit more of NejixSakura in this cos I felt it was lacking a little - gotta love some good old fluff =]

R+R


	10. A Clash

Neji stared at the man lying in the hospital bed next to him, scrutinizing his every being to try and determine how he had attained his injuries. A smug smile set into place when he realized that the large, swollen eye and broken arm were a result of incredible force and an obvious use of enhanced chakra.

In other words, Sakura beat the shit out of him.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably under the intense, icy stare. His eyes flittered around the room to try and focus on anything except the fuming Hyuuga next to him. Why did Sakura torture him like this? Putting him in the same room as the man he had nearly killed was not really something Naruto was going to live down. A few more minutes of silence passed and the air was getting so thick and heavy that Naruto's patience snapped.

"What are you staring at?" he asked, whirling around to face Neji.

"The fruitful injuries my girlfriend managed to plant on you." was the simple answer he got.

Neji turned his attention back to looking out the window, his gaze lingering over the birds that flitted across the sky and into the distant sun. He decided it was best to avoid confrontation with Naruto, even though the anger inside of him was beginning to get hard to control and all he wanted to do was reach over and strangle the poor man to re-turn the earlier favour.

"At least I didn't hit her back…" Naruto mumbled, rubbing his sore arm as he leant back against the pillows. It was with that comment that Neji's resolve cracked. In the blink of an eye he whipped his head around, leaning over the bed and onto the railings of Naruto's, his bandaged hands gripping the metal so tightly it began to creak under his weight.

"Shut-up!" he spat. "It is _none_ of your business what goes on between me and Sakura. It **never** was and it **neve**r will be, Naruto."

The silence that hung in the air was almost deafening as Neji's icy white stare backed Naruto down into a corner. He stayed as long as his weak arms allowed him before pushing back and rolling on to his side, his back facing the arrogant prick that had the nerve to answer back to him. He knew it was childish to act like this, but it was becoming more and more difficult to control his emotions. Probably a result of spending so much time with Sakura; her hormones had rubbed off on him.

"You deserved it and you know it…" Naruto whispered. "That night I came by your place to apologize to Sakura after our fight was the same night that you promised me you would never hurt her in any shape or form and I promised you that if you ever did, I wouldn't hold back."

Neji turned over, his brows furrowed as he stared at the Kyuubi holder. He lifted his cerulean blue eyes and pinned Neji with one of his own icy glares.

"…And I never break a promise, Neji."

Neji's bangs fell over his face as his hands gripped the bed sheets beneath him. He was taking in deep breaths to try and control his current condition but his patience was slipping and so were his mental barriers.

"Alright, that's **it**." he almost shouted. He ripped the leads and wires strapped into his arms, ridding himself of the annoying IV that was dangling next to his head. He flung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself up, giving Naruto a rather full view of his backside.

"N-Neji, what are you doing?" Naruto asked, his voice breaking as he pushed himself further into the bed below him to get away from the angry anbu.

"You son of a _bitch_…" Neji sneered, pointing a finger in Naruto's direction as he made his way around his side of the bed, still pulling leads off his body. "You almost _killed_ me, Naruto! You think that would of solved everything? You need to get your priorities straight if you _ever_ want to become Hokage."

Neji strode towards the door on the other side of the room, his hospital gown billowing out behind him as he threw the door open and slammed it shut as hard as his arms would allow him. The room shook after his violent out-burst and left Naruto clutching his duvet, his breathing heavy as he feared for his life. He could hear Neji down the corridor bellowing out his orders for another room of his own so he wouldn't be bothered.

He let a deep breath he seemed to of been holding and sunk down into the bed, Neji's words lingering in his head.

…_You need to get your priorities straight if you ever want to become Hokage._

Naruto sighed, dropping his head into his hands.

"Shit…"

Sakura growled angrily as she strode down the halls of the hospital. It was her day off and she had been called in due to a certain rather hostile man who wasn't taking any of his meds or receiving any treatment until he had seen her.

_Bloody prick… _she though icily as she spotted the room number at the far end of the hall. She swung the door open and scattered the poor nurses and medics who were currently trying to stabilize the stubborn Hyuuga.

"Hyuuga Neji!" she spat. The room turned silent as all eyes cast upon the fuming medic nin and arrogant Anbu.

"Take your medicine this instant." she ordered, walking over and snatching the vile of pills out of her assistants hands and plopping it in his.

"Yes Ma'am." he muttered, taking the glass of water off his bedside table and taking the pills one by one.

"You may all leave now. Thank you for your hard work." she said, turning to her assistants and smiling softly. They bowed their heads in respect before scurrying out of the room. Her smile immediately faded when the door clicked shut and she turned her hurt expression on her current boyfriend who was now completely bed-ridden due to his desperation in getting a new room.

"See what happens when you go against your medics orders to _stay in bed_." she snapped, though her voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." he said sincerely, "But I just don't think being in the same room as Naruto at the moment is very appropriate, do you?" he turned his pale eyes on her. Sakura began to fidget under his intense gaze and so instead glanced to the side in embarrassment.

"I was kind of hoping you guys would hug and make-up.." she said, looking down at the floor whilst fidgeting with the edge of her skirt. Neji's expression immediately softened as he watched his girlfriend shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Its not going to be that simple now, Sakura." he motioned for her to come to the side of the bed and she did so without a second thought. He took her hand gently in his bandaged one and rubbed her knuckles softly, smiling tiredly at her.

"What's done is done. But I think it would be better if Naruto and I didn't see each other for a while." He eyed her reaction carefully. She looked hurt at first, but finally she nodded, accepting his decision.

"Hai, Neji-kun. Now get some sleep; you being the idiot that you are gave the medics quite a scare." she smiled, before leaning down and gently placing her lips over his.

"Tradition…" he mumbled against her lips, massaging them gently with his. The pills began to kick in and he couldn't help but close his eyes, giving in to the lure of sleep. Sakura smiled gently and stroked his hair softly, watching as he fell into a peaceful slumber, his chest rising and falling softly as his soft snores filled the room. She let out a sigh and tried to calm her nerves.

"Everything's going to be ok.." she reassured herself.

"Everything's going to be _ok_."

Oh my god im soooo sorry for the late update! CRAZY few weeks ive had over here - full of coursework deadlines and exams - phew! Nearly finished though.

Sorry this chapter wasn't more fulfilling (and rather short) - nothing really happened - but don't worry I'll up the ante soon!

As always R+R!


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